Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 1 October 1999

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Shop

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what criteria are applied in sourcing products sold in the Parliament Shop.

Sir David Steel: The Scottish Parliament Shop exists to supply a range of high quality items to Members, staff and the general public. The product range includes a high proportion of exclusively branded items that are not for sale elsewhere.

  The specific considerations that are applied in sourcing goods are as follows:

  The Retail Manager identifies the product type required for the Shop.

  Potential suppliers are sources and approached to submit details of relevant products. The policy is to give priority to Scottish suppliers if identified.

  The Retail Manager compares the specifications of the products according to these equally valued criteria:

  Suppliers ability to package products using the Scottish Parliament corporate device.

  The quality of the product in relation to the product range and price.

  Overall quality of product.

  The final decision is made by the Retail Manager with regard to the product’s overall retail suitability and is subject to the Scottish Parliament’s procurement specifications.

  The SPCB intends to review this with the Retail Manager once the Parliament’s "badge" or "logo" has been chosen.